eslHQ Home
User Name Password
Lost Password? | Join eslHQ.com, it's FREE!
View today's posts
Search Extras Help   

Reply
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Unread May 28th, 2010, 10:16 pm
eslHQ Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 24th, 2010
Posts: 59
thadajirajaras is on a distinguished road
Default ...time...

How about the meanung of these three sentences?

I will eat a hamburger in ten munutes.
I eat a hamberger for ten munutes.
I eat a hamberger ten munutes.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Unread May 31st, 2010, 02:42 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: ...time...

First of all, note the spelling of minutes and hamburger.

It's difficult to assess the feasibility of these sentences (or understand their meaning) without knowing the context. Context determines meaning, and grammar is chosen to express that meaning. For example in (1) I suspect you mean :

A : I've got too many sandwiches here. Do you want one?
B : No thanks. I'm going to McBoggles with John to have a hamburger in ten minutes.


ie - you're expressing your intention. You therefore need "Be going to" not "will" and (probably) "have" rather than "eat": I'm going to have a hamburger in ten minutes.

The only context I can think of (changing it a bit) for your first example is one of those horrific competitions where people have to eat vast quantities of food in as short a time as possible. Before the competition one of the competitors is boasting : You'll see - I'll eat twenty hamburgers in five minutes.

Here "will" is fine because he's making a prediction.
Notice that there's a difference in meaning in the time phrase between the two examples :

I'm going to have lunch in ten minutes. ie - it's now 1.05,and I'm going to have lunch at 1.15, ten minutes from now.
I'll eat twenty hamburgers in five minutes. = it will take me five minutes to eat twenty hamburgers or I'll eat them during a period of five minutes .

Example 2 makes no sense really. Compare it with eg :
I swim for 50 minutes every day.
Here you're describing a regular, repeated action (so the present simple is used) and the frequency is stated - every day. My background knowledge tells me that swimming is good exercise and exercise keeps you healthy - so I understand that you're telling me how you keep healthy. But why ever should you tell me that you eat hamburgers for ten minutes every day - ??
The only thing that I can think of is that you really meant - It takes me ten minutes to eat a hamburger , ie I can eat a hamburger in ten minutes -???

The final example is incorrect grammatically as well as not meaning anything.
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course

Last edited by susan53 : May 31st, 2010 at 05:33 am.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads Replies
High Paying Urgent Teaching Jobs in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, GwangJu, Jeju-do 0
Decent JOB OFFERS FROM Busan, GwangJu, GimHae, ChangWon,ULSAN, Pohang, Daegu,Korea 0
Decent Job Offers from JungGye, Mok-dong, ILSAN, Gimpo, Incheon, Gui, GwangJin, 0
ASAP full time positions in all areas of S.Korea 0
Full time Native teacher(9positions) 0

Find the Best TEFL, TESL, TESOL & CELTA Certification Courses - User Submitted Ratings & Reviews for Online, Distance & Abroad TEFL Courses. Over 3,500 reviews of 100+ TEFL schools!

Teach English in Thailand - Onsite and Combined TEFL certification courses in Phuket, Thailand.


Free ESL Flashcards


Similar Threads Replies
High Paying Urgent Teaching Jobs in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, GwangJu, Jeju-do 0
Decent JOB OFFERS FROM Busan, GwangJu, GimHae, ChangWon,ULSAN, Pohang, Daegu,Korea 0
Decent Job Offers from JungGye, Mok-dong, ILSAN, Gimpo, Incheon, Gui, GwangJin, 0
ASAP full time positions in all areas of S.Korea 0
Full time Native teacher(9positions) 0


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:17 pm.

All materials from this website are for classroom-use only. Digital redistribution of materials, in part or in whole, is strictly forbidden!

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2